Wedding Bells
by zaz11496
Summary: Future Fic: After years of happy marriage between Jim and Melinda, now it is finally Delia's turn to tie the knot. But will things go smoothly? Or will this wedding end in disaster?


Delia's Wedding

"Jim have you seen Aiden's black socks?" Melinda yelled from her young son's room "No, have you seen my blue tie! you know the one with the strips?" Jim yelled from down stairs. He was looking in every square inch of their tiny living room, under couch cushions and, in drawers. The boys had just gotten back from a camping trip and were rushing to get their stuff packed for yet another trip. This one not quite as dirty and buggy. This particular journey was their friend's wedding. Delia was finally tying the knot to Stephen a wonderful guy who works with Jim as a Cardio Thoracic surgeon.

The funny thing is their introduction wasn't made by either of them, it was Stephen who was looking to downgrade from his large house to a much smaller condo. He stumbled upon Delia when she was on her way to meet with a friend. Eventually after talking for a few minutes he mentioned his desire to sell his place for a smaller place one and was looking for a realtor. Delia slyly gave him her business card and continued walking towards the antique store. Of course mentioning his name to me upon her entrance I smiled and informed her that he was a doctor, and he works with Jim. She smiled and laughed looking down at her cellphone. I didn't know at the time but that turned out to be Stephen and thus their courtship began.

I kept prying through Aiden's drawers before finding one of his socks at the far back corner.

"Aid what did I tell you about rearranging your entire closet" Mel rolled her eyes in irritation opening another drawer to look for the other sock.

"I was looking for something mommy I'm sorry" Aid kept packing knapsack that he would be bringing with him in the car.

"What exactly were you looking for that required you to put you other sock in your T-shirt drawer?" Melinda pulled the missing sock free from its wrong drawer.

"I don't remember" Aiden finished packing all his toys in his backpack and made his way downstairs.

"Mel?" Jim peaked through Aiden's room to see his wife closing up Aiden suitcase.

"Yeah?" Melinda rolled her eyes not noticing her husband looking at her.

Jim smiled and came up behind her giving her a hug.

"Long day?" he questioned noticing her tired expression.

"No… just exhausting and have't even started packing the baby stuff yet.."

Melinda leaning her forhead against her husbands chest.

"Already taken care of" Jim kissed the top of her head and hugged her a little tighter. "Really?" Melinda looked up at Jim.

"Yeah playpen, highchair, portable crib everything is already packed and in the trunk" Jim smiled

"I love you… you know that!" Mel kissed her husband and hugged him.

"All you have to do is pack her stuff because I don't know what you want to pack her" Jim kissed her cheek.

"Yeah thats fine but you and Aid HAVE to shower before we leave" she said walking towards the nursery.

Jim smelled himself himself repulsed by his own odour.

'good point' Jim nodded and went down the stairs to bring Aiden up to give him a good scrubbing before they hit the rode.

Mel walked quietly into her daughters room tiptoeing to her closet to get her baby bag.

Mel knew she would have to wake up her sleeping angel so she would sleep at night, as well as so she could see exactly what she was going to pack.

Mel stoked her her cheek and rubbed her small tummy.

"Time to get up pretty girl" she lifted up the tiny infant causing her to stir and whimper in response.

The baby began to cry clearly upset from her nap being disturbed.

"I know baby girl, mummy needs to pack your stuff" Mel bounced the infant for a few minutes letting her cries subside and placing her on the changing table.

Mel looked through her bolts placing some clothes and onesies into her bag. With it she threw her diapers and wipes, a few toys and books, some pacifiers and her favourite stuffed elephant, Ellie.

Mel quickly grabbed the dress she was going to wear to the dress rehearsal and the one she was wearing to the wedding.

Mel soothed her baby who still continued to whimper, and changed her diaper and clothes before bring her and her bag down stairs.

Mel placed her in her baby swing and gave her a pacifier before going back up stairs check on the men in her life.

Jim had showered as had Aiden who smelled much better than they did when they first got him.

Jim had began his own packing throwing casual jeans and T-Shirts into a bag.

"Mel! I need you expert opinion, what colour belt?" Jim lifted up two belts one dark brown and one black.

"What suit are you wearing?" Mel inquired

"I'm wearing the black one to the rehearsal dinner and tuxing it to the actual wedding. What are you wearing to the dinner?"

"Okay yeah I would go with the black one and I'm wearing navy to the dinner"

"Okay gimme two minutes I will be down" Mel chuckled and exited their room going to check on Aiden.

"Aid are you dressed?" Mel knocked on his door.

"Mommy wheres my blue shirt?"

Mel sighed she's going to have to start teaching her boys how to keep track of their clothes she thought entering her eldest's room.

"Which shirt are you looking for baby?"

Mel started looking through his hurricane of a dresser.

"The one with the collar" Aiden began digging through another drawer.

"You mean your polo shirt? its right here?" Mel handed her son his shirt and he threw on.

"Aiden go down stairs and get in the car alright?" Mel smiled at her son and gave a quick scan to his room making sure he didn't forget anything.

I true boy style she spotted his dress shoes in the corner of his closet. she scooped them up and headed downstairs to pack them in with the rest of his stuff.

Jim was downstairs holding their daughter who was whimpering and rubbing her big brown eyes with her tiny little fists.

Jim bounced her and patted her back trying to sooth her before he put her in her baby carrier.

Mel gave a once over making sure they had everything before making her way to the car where Aiden was waiting, playing with his Nintendo DS.

Jim exited the house holding their infant daughter, locking the front door behind him.

Mel looked back making sure Aiden was buckled while Jim buckled their fussy daughter.

"Alright lets go" Jim started the engine and they left headed for beautiful Wasega beach.

The drive was an exhausting ten hours leaving everyone a little stir crazy when they'd finally arrived at the gigantic beach front property.

It was late when they had finally made it, greeted by Eli and Delia who helped bring some stuff in.

Once everyone was situated and the crib was set up in the room next to theirs, the two put their children to bed and descended the stairs to have a nightcap with Eli and Delia.

"I'm glad you made it before that massive storm" Delia said between sips of tea.

"Imagine, two squirming kids and a storm" Eli giggled and took a sip from his own decaf mug.

Melinda smiled "Are you kidding a storm would have been a blessing!"

Eli gave her a bizarre stare.

"Well Emma would sleep through any storm it soothes her and Aiden would eventually be lulled to sleep the same way" Mel looked to Jim for consensus.

Jim nodded. "A storm would have meant silence, meaning no more baby toy noises or Aiden's video games"

"Or whining 'Are we there yet?'" Melinda moaned in a mocking tone.

Delia chucked "Oh yes I remember the loud moans and whimpers to escape the car… Charlie's sister used to live in Colorado"

Mel gave her a blank expression clutching her mug close to her "You drove all the way to Colorado"

"Well… Charlie thought it would be a 'quote fun way to see America!' but all I got out of it was hours and hours of whining and crying from four year old Ned in the back seat" Delia nodded her head half in disbelief.

Ned came down just at that moment giving a lopsided grin.

"Speak of the devil! why did you insist on torturing your ma Ned! She's good people" Eli spoke with his hands.

Ned gave a confused look staring down at his mom.

"I told them the time we drove all the way to Salt Springs to see Aunt Lily" Delia smiled.

Ned came up closer behind his mother placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Listen strapping a four year old hyperactive kids in a booster seat for like twenty hours wasn't exactly a smart decision on their part" Ned patted his mother shoulder.

Mel and Jim chuckled.

Within the half hour the group had dispersed exhausted from their day of travelling.

The next day was the day of the rehearsal dinner, making the house incredible busy with people going in and out setting things up, and countless new friends and relatives arriving.

Jim had promised his poor wife the morning to do her maid of honour duties,while he occupied the children and helped Stephen and Eli out with some last minute speech writing.

Mel decided that what would be part of her 'maid of honour duties' would be going on her morning run.

Once she had returned the house had erupted into complete chaos. The tent men were going around and through the house trying to get the ginormous tent set up.

There were tech people setting up microphones and lights, people working on what looked like a dance floor.

When she stepped foot in the house she could hear the faint cry of her daughter within the layers of noise.

Mel made her way to her baby girl's room revealing her dear husband struggling to dress their poor baby girl in what looked like a very complicated dress.

Mel hid behind the door deciding to see how this whole situation would unfold before stepping in to help. She heard her husband speaking to their 6 month old begging with her to show him how to put the shirt on.

Mel giggled looking at the confused and scared look she gave him in return.

Jim turned around noticing his wife snickering at her clueless husband.

"Good work there Sherlock" Jim mocked in a sarcastic tone.

Mel put her hands out to receive the baby which was promptly handed to her.

Melinda began untangling her from the mess and taking the article off.

"Okay first Jim, this is a dress and you have it on inside out, and backwards" Mel shook her head smiling.

"Daddy is silly huh!" Mel tickled the girls tummy before turning the dress the right way in and putting back on.

Jim chuckled "you expect me to know how to work contraptions like that? I'm a simple guys pants and a shirt sufficed" Jim gestured to his own attire which was a simple nautical polo and khaki pants with a brown belt.

"Then why didn't you just put her in pants and a shirt?" Mel finished putting her dress on and got the diaper cover to put on the bottom.

"Well at first I thought that this things was a shirt" Jim gestured to the pink dress. "And she looks adorable in it, I remember you put it on her at Eli's Engagement barbecue.

Mel finished dressing her and her off to Jim.

"Well now that you understand the functionality of girls baby clothes I have wedding stuff to do and you have babysitting stuff to do" Mel gave her husband a quick peck on the lips before exiting the nursery.

Jim smiled watching his wife leave then staring back at Emma who gave him a curious look.

"Thank God for mommy right pretty girl" Jim bounced his daughter.

Melinda walked out into the shining sunlight on the beautiful July morning. Delia was sitting at the end of a rather large oakwood table set up for the dinner. She was chatting with her friend, Donna, from high school and it was evident they were reminiscing about their youthful rebellious days.

"Mel! we were just waiting for you before we started where were you? " Delia tried to give her most disgruntled anxious bride look but ended with a soft smile.

"I apologize guys Jim had a baby clothing emergency" Mel laughed halfheartedly

Delia smiled, "Speaking of which where is my littlest niece?" Delia questioned

"Well I figured we wouldn't get anything done if she was around so Jim is watching the kids while we finish the plans" Melinda sat down and smiled at Donna.

Delia nodded and opened her notebook reviewing a massive checklist.

"Now we all know that when I get anxious I tend to make checklists, so as you cans see it looks like I'm freaking out a little bit" Melinda stared down at the six paged list of detail after detail that had yet to be done, and she herself began to feel queasy.

"Okay Dee first things first, we get rid of the ridiculous list" Donna closed the notebook and snatched it off the table.

Delia's eyes widened in horror.

"Listen this is only going to stress you out, and being stressed and worried, although it is normal, is the last thing you want to be on your wedding day" Mel put her arm around her best friend.

Delia nodded slightly.

"Okay, so we'll start with speeches and go from there" Donna looked concurrently with the two women.

Meanwhile on the opposite end of the house, Jim was occupied with multiple tasks. The first being to help write a best man toast for Stephen's friend Michael, while giving Eli advice on dealing with nosy assertive soon-to-be in-laws, all whilst watching his children.

The three men were in the from watching Aiden play on the driveway with chalk while they had a beers in the adirondack chairs.

"Eli, first rule of pleasing the bride and her parents…" Jim took a sip of his beer.

"I know what the first rule is, you think I'm an idiot? Just give her whatever she wants and don't ask questions" Eli rolled his eyes and took a swig from his bottle.

Jim smiled and chuckled

"Although that is important, a strategy I have found twice as effective is simply disappearing" Jim made a hand motion.

"You mean like literally leaving" Eli looked confused.

"yes, I mean overtime she pulls out that peachy little binder or notepad or whatever it is, every time her parents talk wedding plans or her friends giggles about how 'its just around the corner. You hide, you leave like the freakin house is burning down" Jim gave a sarcastic smile.

"pfft I could only imagine how you got away with this with Melinda" Eli gave him a less than convinced look.

"Believe it or not, Mel didn't want a big wedding the first time around, she was all too happy to elope and move across the country to avoid the wrath of my mother." Jim took another sip from his beer. "But you know, this being the only wedding she would get to plan, me being her only son, Melinda had to deal with months and months of wedding plans, and trust men, she wanted to play the hiding game just like I did, but my mom is a hard person to avoid"

"Jeez, I hope Betty isn't like that with Casey, I mean my mom is gone so their's no danger there, but her mom seems pretty keen on having at least 100 people there" Eli gave his friend a worried look.

"Just follow my plan and you will hide your way to you big day" Jim gave him a slap on the back.

"Daddy!" Jim looked up to Aiden on the cement crying his little eyes out.

Jim rushed over to see his son's elbow and knee bleeding.

"Aid bud what happened?" Jim examined the rest of his body and determined that those were the only injured areas.

"I was drawing with the chalk and then I tripped and fell" Aiden said still teary eyed.

"Alright bud lets go inside and clean all that up for you okay?" Jim helped his son up and brought him into the kitchen where he took out his 'doctor bag' and took out the disinfectant and plenty of bandaids.

"Daddy, is this gonna sting?" Aiden looked worriedly at his father.

"Nope, this is the non stinging stuff" Jim applied the Polysporin to his cuts and bandaged them up.

"Buddy did you his your head at all?" Jim felt his boys head and felt a small bump.

Aiden thought for a moment.

"I don't remember" Aiden looked up at his dad, confused.

"Alright, I'm just gonna make sure your noggin is still ship shape alright champ?" Jim got out his tiny flashlight.

He looked in Aiden's pupils which were both equal reactive and responsive to the light.

The bump on Aiden's head must have been from the fall, jim gave him son an ice pack and made him sit down for a while, during which time he went to check on Emma who had just woken from her nap.

"Hey pretty girl, look who's up?" Jim listed the infant out of her crib and kissed her on the top of her small head.

The baby whimpered and let out a small cry. Knowing the telltale sign of his daughter's hungry cry, Jim walked swiftly out of the room, to the kitchen in search of formula.

After looking inside the fridge and her diaper bag, he was given no other option but to disturb their girls meeting.

Jim opened the french door, with Emma still in one arm whimpering.

"Mel" Jim stepped out attempting to sooth their youngest by bouncing her.

Melinda turned to notice her husband standing there with their whimpering child. Delia and Donna turned to observe the foreigner in their bubble of wedding planning.

"Did you pack the formula?" Jim questioned.

"Shoot! I knew I forgot something!" Mel shoot her head in disbelief.

"Well, I could go out and get some, but for now she's hungry" Jim pointed down to the baby in hysterics.

Mel nodded her head and motioned for him to giver her the baby.

"I'm sorry guys I will be back" Melinda stood up to receive her.

"No problem Mel take your time, make sure this little monkey is all better" Delia smiled down at the baby.

Mel left to feed Emma while Jim finished examining Aiden and took him with him to go get formula and toothpaste.

A few minutes later Melinda returned with a much tamer Emma in her arms.

Donna smiled down at the baby. "She is just adorable! how old is she?"

Mel smiled "Thank you and she's 6 months"

"Wow! it's hard to imagine my daughter Carly was once that small… now she's engaged herself! Time flies, so cherish it. Remember that" Donna gave her a stern look.

Delia motioned for Mel to pass her the baby, who was then settled in her arms.

The baby whimpered slightly and reached for Melinda.

"Mel I think she want her mommy"

Mel unclipped a pacifier that somehow ended up on her shirt. "No she just wants this" Mel stuck it in the baby's mouth and she instantly went quiet. Delia chuckled staring down the the little girl playing with a little baby rattle, with her paci in her mouth.

"What's her name?" Donna smiled and stroked the little ones cheek with the back of her finger.

"Emma" Melinda smiled as the baby looked curiously at her mom.

"Yep, thats you I know you know" Melinda smiled down at her and kissed the top of her head.

She then placed her on her knees and they continued chatting about Delia's upcoming nuptials.

Meanwhile Jim had taken Aiden and Eli with him to get various necessities that they had forgotten on their mad rush out the door.

"Daddy can I get this?" Aides pointed incessantly to the skylander action figures.

"Remember what we're here for bud, not today" Jim walked ahead of him looking for the baby department.

Eli motioned to Jim that he had found the section he was looking for.

"What type does she usually use? or is she strictly a hard liquor kind of girl?" Eli chuckled at his own joke.

Jim gave his friend a sarcastic smile before looking at the different labels of formula.

"I should have asked Mel to remind me what kind of formula she drinks, I know its not the same one this guy"

Jim ruffles a preoccupied Aiden's hair.

A young brunette girl of short stature approached the group of men in the baby section.

"do y'all need some help?" The women was southern, with red lipstick and a white flowing sundress. She was pushing a carriage with a baby boy in it, around a year old.

"I remember the first couple of months with a young one can be a struggle, but good for y'all doing it together!"

Eli chuckled slightly.

Jim smiled at the simple mistake.

"No, Eli here is my friend and this is my son" Jim gestured to Aiden who stood shyly behind his dad.

"OH! sorry for the mix up! but do y'all need some help?" She placed her hand on her hip and smiled.

"Well I guess were looking for baby formula, but I can't remember the name of it, all I know is it has a green label… it's nurture or nature or something like that"

"You mean Nurture Plus, its this one right here" the kind woman pointed to the bottle with a green label on it.

"My Sammy used that when he was smaller, doctor say its the closest thing to the natural way!" The women smoothed the hair of her baby son who was sitting in the front of her carriage.

"Thank you so much for the help!" Jim picked up the formula and smiled at the young parent.

"If you don't mind me asking how old is yours?" The women questioned curiously.

"She's six months, and how old is this little guy" Jim smiled down at the young boy.

"Sammy is a fourteen months, but I have a three year old a five year old and a seven year old somewhere around here" The women gave a knowing look.

Jim looked a little stunned, she looked to be very young.

"Wow! well I only have the two, and Aiden here is six" Jim looked back to see his son looking curiously at some of the baby toys.

"Well trust sometimes I miss only having two haha! But if you don't mind me asking, do y'all live around here?" the woman looked curiously at the group.

"No, we're from New York" Eli replied nodding his head slightly awkwardly.

"Wait… are y'all here fore Stephen and Delia's wedding?" the women smiled.

Jim looked a little confused as to how she knew that.

"Yes…well I guess this is a small town" Eli looked a little creeped out.

"Oh! my apologies it's just I am Lainey, Stephen's younger sister and we're up from Texas, we're staying at the beach house too" Lainey smiled at the new friends she had just become acquainted with.

"Well, what a small world! i'm Jim this is Eli we're friends of Delia's and I actually work at Rockland Memorial with your brother' Jim smiled at the connection that had been made.

"OH yes! I knew Delia's some was all from New York, please to meet y'all! so you must be here picking up things your forgot to pack right?" Lainey looked knowingly towards Jim.

Jim nodded a little embarrassed that it was so easy to tell.

"Don't worry we're here doing the same thing, the boys forgot socks and underwear and toothpaste, I even forgot to pack pacifiers which made the drive up here less than pleasant" Lainey was cheerful and bubbly.

"Well we forgot formula, wipes and toothpaste" Jim looked inside his carriage making sure he had collected all the thing she said he had forgotten.

"And my brother notified me of a few things he forgot to pack for himself, so I am here shopping for a grown ass man as well, but don't tell I'm said that… Cavendish boys are notorious for being forgetful"

Before Jim could respond a roar of noise came towards the aisle as three kids came running toward the short young brunette.

A little girl appeared tugging on the hem of the mother's dress.

"Mommy! Mommy! Jackson won't give back my hat!" The little girl with a pink summer dress and nude coloured sandals whined.

Lainey looked down at the little girl, then up at the two older boys.

"Jackson give your sister's hat back, I don't think you'll for in it, and pink really isn't your colour darlin" upon hearing his mother's words, the eldest of the two boys handed the pink sunhat back to the little girl.

Lainey looked back towards Jim.

"Well Jim, this is my brood of kids who will be taking over the peace and tranquility of the beach house"

Eli and Jim both chuckled.

"This here is Jackson my eldest, then Connor and my little girl who is hiding behind my leg is Kelley"

Lainey looked back at her kids.

"Guys this is Jim his son Aiden and their friend Eli their staying at uncle Stephen's beach house too, they're friend's of Delia's"

The two older boys smiled and waved hell while the younger little girl gave a soft spoken hello.

Aiden smiled and said hello as well.

"Well we'll leave you to your shopping and see you at the house!" Lainey smiled and waved goodbye.

Jim and Eli both waved goodbye turning to leave the baby section.

Just as they were turning around Jim heard his black Iphone 6 go off in his pocket.

"Hey Mel what's up?" Jim answered

"Hey! are you still at the store?" Mel sounded hopeful on the other end.

"Yes we are, what else do we need" Jim sounded warn out.

"Okay good because Emma is running a slight fever so could you pick up some infant Calpol?" Malinda sounded a little frazzled and Emma's crying could be heard from the phone.

Jim furrowed his brow with concern.

"How high is the fever?" Jim's heart broke for his tiny daughter.

"It's low grade but I want to give her medicine now so she doesn't scream and cry all night" Melinda's softly attempted to sooth her baby so that she could hear her husband on the phone.

"Alright I will get some meds for her and check her out when I get home, I love you" Jim smiled hearing his wife say it back before hanging up.

He was glad during times like these that they were a team.

Jim turned towards the two boys waiting for him to be done with his phone call.

"Alright well Mel needs one more thing and then we're getting out of here" Jim headed towards the pharmaceutical section with Eli and Aiden fast walking to keep up with him. He grabbed the infant Calpol and turned straight around ready to leave.

Once they arrived back at the house, Jim was greeted by his exhausted wife and uncomfortable infant daughter.

"Hey hun how was the store" Mel half smiled reaching into once of the bags on the counter that had the Calpol in it.

"We actually ran into Stephen's sister and her kids, who'll be staying at the house too!" Jim grabbed some water from the fridge watching Aiden run off with one of his toys.

Eli grabbed a beer from the fridge and began unpacking some of the things he had purchased from the store as well.

Mel handed Emma to her husband while she measured the quantity of formula to give her.

He bounced her holding her close to his body and kissing her forehead.

"Are you not feeling so good" Jim some baby talk to his little girl.

Mel gave her the tiny girl the syrup which she did not enjoy, and whimpered at the bitter taste.

"I'll go put her down, you go back to Delia and Donna.

Jim carried her to her nursery and placed the tiny form in her white wooden crib.

He turned on the baby mobile and grabbed a baby monitor.

It was not even two thirty and the pair were already exhausted.


End file.
